NOTES: THE GOLDEN AGE OF ATHENS
The Golden Age of Athens
· 479 B.C. – 431 B.C. (48 years)
· Wealth came through slaves and silver mines.
· Leader: Pericles
o Aristocrat
o Supported democracy
o Persuasive and strong speaker
o Responsible for Parthenon
Ancient Religious Beliefs
Gods and Goddesses
· Greeks worshipped 12 immortal gods and goddesses
· Greeks honored gods by holding festivals, games and offerings.
· Greeks tried not to upset the gods: affected social behavior
· Explained natural events
· Each city-state worshiped one of the gods more than others
· Immortal means “lives forever”
Oracles (place, priest or priestess, or message)
· Advice was often in the form of a dream or a riddle
· Greeks asked oracles for advice
· Oracles were believed to speak for the gods and tell the future
· Most important oracle was at Delphi
The Search for Knowledge
Scientists and Philosophers
· Philosophers believed the powers of the mind and reason could explain natural events
· Thales was one of the first philosophers (everything is made of water)
· Scientist Democritus believed all matter was made up of atoms
· Disagreed with the idea that the gods created natural events
· Did not do experiments
Socrates
· “know thyself” was important lesson
· First philosopher
· Brought to trial, and sentenced to drink hemlock poison
· “What is truth? What is beauty? What is the right thing to do?
· He asked Athenians to think…
Plato
· Student of Socrates
· Plato wrote about Socrates death and teaching
· Founded the first school of philosophy called “The Academy”
· Wrote “The Republic”, the first book on politics
Aristotle
· Student of Plato
· Believed in reason and logic to guide pursuit of knowledge
· Great inventor
· Tutored Alexander the Great
· Invented The Scientific Method – step by step process
o Form a hypothesis
o Observe
o Test hypothesis
Visual and Dramatic Arts
Theater: introduced during the golden age (approx. 400 B.C.)
-poor people could attend theater for free
Dramas
· Athenians were first known to write dramas
· Most popular plays were tragedies, praised gods
· Main character was faced with a hard decision
· Chorus chanted between scenes
· Actors were men who played many roles
Comedies
· Made fun of well-known citizens and politicians
· Made jokes about customs
· Athenians accepted humor and jokes because of the freedom in Athens
· Written by Athenian poets
Parthenon
· Built by Pericles
· A temple to the goddess Athena
o Marble; had a 40 foot statue of Athena
· Sculptures reflected Greek art, which were lifelike, full of action
· Columns made of marble
· Located on the acropolis, fortified hill with many government buildings
· Temple still exists